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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29386647">Rumor</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsukizzie/pseuds/tsukizzie'>tsukizzie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>104th Training Corps - Freeform, 104th Training Corps Shenanigans, Armin Arlert likes pretty things, Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager-centric, Eren Yeager is in Denial, Internalized Homophobia, Jean Kirstein is in Denial, M/M, Minor Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Minor Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Multi, One sided Sasha Blouse/Connie Springer - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:49:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,453</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29386647</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsukizzie/pseuds/tsukizzie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha, and more are tired of Eren and Armin’s oblivious mutual pining.<br/>“Will they just fucking make out already?”</p><p>—<br/>based off of Isayama saying there’s a rumor among the cadets that eren and armin are way too close + Lee brice’s song, Rumor.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sasha Blouse &amp; Jean Kirstein &amp; Connie Springer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. There’s a rumor going ‘round, about me and you.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Fun fact: I actually hate country music, but the lyrics from this song inspired me lmaooo. Enjoy!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eren sat down for dinner with a sigh. Armin was on his right side, poking at his food with a concentrated, yet tired, look on his face. They were exhausted. Today’s training had left them sore in too many places to count, and neither of them had ever wanted to sleep so bad. Eren watched as Armin continued taking small bites of his food, thinking about things Eren could never even begin to imagine.</p>
<p>   “I’m pooped.” He muttered, meeting Eren’s eyes with a dull frown.</p>
<p>   Eren groaned in reply. “Same... do you wanna...?” He gestured lazily with his hand as his sentence trailed off, but Armin understood anyways. He nodded in agreement, and they were ready to head back to the barracks. They slowly got up and walked to the exit, grimacing when they stretched a muscle the wrong way. </p>
<p>   The air outside was crisp, and the night sky was glittering with stars. The pair stopped for a moment to look up at them. The bright, glowing orbs never failed to amaze Armin, causing Eren to smile at his childlike awe. It made him feel like he was ten years old, watching his best friend talk on and on about the sea. The vastness of everything seemed to blow his mind. Eren tugged on the end of his sleeve gently.</p>
<p>   “C’mon, let’s get inside. We don’t want to catch a cold if we can avoid it,” he said softly. </p>
<p>   “Yeah, sorry.” Armin apologized, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. They walked in comfortable silence upon reaching the bunkhouse. When they got there, they decided to go ahead and take the first showers.</p>
<p>  Eren let the hot water run down his body, soothing his aching limbs. The heat was making him drowsy and he felt his eyes drooping. He rubbed them hard in an attempt to wake himself up, and quickly cleaned the rest of his body. He got out of the shower shivering, and changed into the warmest pair of pajamas he owned. They, however, were not very warm.</p>
<p>   He climbed to the top of Armin’s bunk, which was just above his own. They sat in silence together with their backs to the wall.</p>
<p>   “I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired,” Eren said. He could feel Armin shift towards him. </p>
<p>   “Yeah. When do you think was the last time Shadis worked us this hard? It had to have been months ago.” He thought aloud. Eren nodded.</p>
<p>   “Yeah.” They were quiet after this, moving closer together to absorb each other’s warmth. They soon fell asleep with linked arms and gentle snores escaping their open mouths. Jean entered the barracks minutes later, followed closely by Marco, Sasha, and Connie. Jean stared at them and shushed Connie and Sasha when they got too noisy. The duo was sent into a fit of soft giggles, laughing at Eren’s random outburst of loud snores and the way it made Jean jump.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>   Jean sighed as he pulled a shirt over his damp body. “They have to be closer than just friends, right?” He asked Marco.</p>
<p>   Marco shook his wet hair in an attempt to get the remaining droplets out. They were the only two left in the bathroom now, so they were free to talk without being disturbed. “They do seem to have a little something more than just friends. Didn’t they grow up together?” He asked.</p>
<p>   “Yeah, but they also grew up with Mikasa. Hell, Eren even lived with her! But he treats Armin so much differently than he treats Mikasa. It’s like, the reverse of what you’d expect! You’d think Eren would at least reciprocate her feelings, but no, he doesn’t! And somehow, mikasa is still head over heels for him! If I were Eren and I had a girl as pretty as mikasa swooning for me, but also had a thing for my best friend, I would at least tell her so she doesn’t get her heart broken! It’s bullshit, Marco. Bullshit.” Jean ranted. He made wide hand gestures to put an emphasis on the important parts, causing Marco to smile.</p>
<p>   “Jean, at least give yourself some credit. You’re a good leader, and you’re smart too! You’re the most talented with the ODM gear, you’ve got a good sense of humor, and you’re far from being considered unattractive. I’m sure Mikasa, and any other person for that matter, would be thrilled to have a chance with you.” Marco said this so casually that it left Jean stunned. His face was scarlet, with a blush so deep that it began to tint his ears pink. Jean felt as though he might combust right there on the spot. But somehow, he found his words.</p>
<p>   “Thanks Marco... I... I appreciate it.” He said softly. His blush had lightened, and he gave his friend a nervous smile. Marco clapped him on the shoulder, allowing his hand to linger for a moment.</p>
<p>   “I’m serious though. I know most people think you’re a self-centered and pompous bastard-“</p>
<p>   “Hey!” Jean protested.</p>
<p>   “-but once they get to know you, they’ll see what I see. I can promise you that.” Marco’s eyes crinkled at the edges and he gave Jean a large smile. “Goodnight Jean.”</p>
<p>   “Goodnight Marco.” Jean watched his friend leave before turning to the mirror to look at himself. What the actual fuck. Did Marco really just say all that? Or was he losing his mind? The real question was- why had it made him so flustered. He pushed these thoughts away, and unconsciously touched his fingers to his lips. It didn’t matter anyways. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ahhh this is only chapter one! I just started the second one a few minutes ago, but it should hopefully be out soon! I think I’m gonna keep this back and forth layout between Eremin and Jeans analysis because I kinda like it idk. Lemme know what you think!! Thanks for reading!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Stirring up our little town the last week or two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>BTW The lyrics are the chapter titles!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   Word spread among the cadets about Eren and Armin’s odd relationship like a wildfire. Soon, everyone had their own theory on it.</p><p>   “They have to know, right?”</p><p>   “Not necessarily, Connie. It could be one sided. Maybe only one of them knows.” Marco said.</p><p>   “Or,” Jean chimed in, “they’re both as dense and stupid as fucking rocks.”</p><p>   Sasha frowned. “Hey, that’s mean to Armin! Armin is smart!”</p><p>   “Not when it comes to his feelings towards Eren. Jean’s right about them being dense. I don’t know how much more of it I can take.” Ymir said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Krista nodded along, walking in pace with Ymir.</p><p>   “I really don’t see how they could keep this up for another month. So let’s place a bet on it. Whoever guesses the time and day closest to when they realize they’re in love, wins.” Connie said, a smirk forming on his lips.</p><p>   “I’m in!” Sasha exclaimed.</p><p>   Marco gave Connie a pointed look before sighing. “Fine, but what are we betting with? We don’t exactly have money to spend.”</p><p>   “Whoever wins gets to divide their chores among the people participating. So if I win, you and Sasha have to take over my workload for an entire month.” </p><p>   “That’s fair enough. Count me in.” Jean said. “What about you, Ymir?”</p><p>   “Sure, why not.” She said simply.</p><p>   “I’ll join too!” Krista added.</p><p>   “Okay! That makes six of us total. After class and training we can write down our predications. Good luck!” Connie chuckled at the end, excited for the next few weeks to come.</p><p>—</p><p>In front of the rocky precipice the sun started its descent, setting the sky ablaze in fiery orange and red hues. There was a lake underneath the cliff top and the light reflected off of its water. The scene was magical, almost as if it were from an age old fairytale.</p><p>   Armin sat cross-legged against one of the towering pines, enthralled by the view. It had been a long time since he had seen a sunset like this, and he smiled softly at the beauty before him. He looked up when he heard footsteps behind him, and saw Eren. His friend came and lowered himself beside Armin, pulling his knees up to his chest.</p><p>   “I thought I might find you here,” Eren said with a bemused smile.</p><p>   “You guessed right,” Armin chuckled. “It’s amazing, isn’t it.”</p><p>   “It is.” Eren- once again -wasn’t paying attention to the view. He was too busy admiring Armin’s sun-kissed cheeks. If you looked closely, you could see that Armin had faint freckles dotting his nose. His eyes were almost green in this light, caused by the golden reflection of the sun and the clouds. Eren forced himself to tear his eyes away from Armin and faced the lake. </p><p>   Armin scooted closer to Eren, allowing their shoulders to touch. He wouldn’t have wanted to share this moment with anyone else but his best friend. The comfort that Eren brought him was unlike that of anyone else. He inwardly wondered if Eren remembered his childhood ambitions and dreams. Armin wanted to see the sea, but he wanted Eren to be there with him more than anything. Just the thought of being with Eren as they gazed upon the never-ending sea was fairytale-like by itself. He let his head fall easily on Eren’s shoulder, and snuggled into the warmth. </p><p>   Eren happily leaned back into Armin. The two boys sat in their usual, comfortable, and peaceful silence. They stayed like this until the sky was a light purple and blue, and when the temperature had dropped from the rising moon. Armin stretched with a shiver, extending a hand out to Eren. They slipped their fingers together and started to make their way back to the bunkhouse.</p><p>—</p><p>   When Jean was sure that Eren and Armin were out of earshot, he spoke up. “They are so fucking gay.” </p><p>   “And yet, they still haven’t confessed.” Connie said with a laugh. “It’s a shame, honestly. I really expected them to start sucking each other’s faces off.” </p><p>   “Especially with the way Eren looks at him.” Sasha added. “We <em>have</em> to do something about this.”</p><p>   “Like what?” Connie asked.</p><p>   “I don’t know. Maybe we could confront them about it?” </p><p>   “What if we talked to them in pairs? Jean and Connie can ask Eren, and Sasha and I will ask Armin.” Marco suggested.</p><p>   “When do we want to ask them?”</p><p>   “We’ll give them a few more days, and if they still haven’t noticed anything we’ll do it!” Everyone seemed pleased with that. They decided to go tell Ymir and Krista about their plan and call it a night.</p><p>—</p><p>The last assignment of the day was close combat. Everyone was supposed to pair up with a partner and try to land as many hits as possible while attempting to steal the knife their opponent had. Once they stole the knife, they could move on to find a different opponent. As expected, Armin and Eren partnered up. </p><p>   “What do you think they’re gonna do?” Jean asked, swinging his fist towards Marco’s head.</p><p>   Marco dodged the jab. “I don’t know. We’ll just have to watch, I guess.” He stumbled back, clutching his knife tightly. A few feet away from them, Connie and Sasha didn’t even pretend to look like they were fighting.</p><p>   “I wonder if Eren thinks Armin will be easy to beat. I mean, considering his size and strength, Armin’s chances of winning don’t seem too high,” Connie said. He swat a hand at Sasha as she propped her elbow on his head.</p><p>   “That’s true, but maybe Armin has a few tricks up his sleeve,” Sasha thought aloud. “Ooh look! They’re starting!”</p><p>   Eren and Armin had finished warming up, and now stood a few feet apart from each other. They had their fists raised and their knees bent, prepared to fight. Eren said something under his breath that made Armin laugh, and swung the first punch. Armin ducked and kicked his leg out, attempting to sweep Eren off his feet. Eren hopped back before his leg could make contact, and when Armin was unbalanced he charged ahead. Connie noticed that only Eren seemed to have a knife, until he saw something glint on Armin’s thigh. He had strapped the blade to his leg so he wouldn’t have to worry about holding it. </p><p>   Sasha noticed it too. “Look at Armin! He’s actually holding his ground pretty good. And he hid his knife, making Eren’s job more difficult!”</p><p>   “What a slick bastard,” Connie muttered, shaking his head with a slight smile.</p><p>—</p><p>   Eren was starting to lose his breath as the fight progressed. They had been going at it for a couple minutes now, unable to steal the other’s knife. He cursed Armin for putting it in such a hard spot to reach. Armin also didn’t seem to be rushing the offense and focused on defending himself from Eren’s barrage of punches. Some of them made contact, but all those days of being bullied in the streets of Shiganshina had conditioned him for this. He waited for Eren to wear down enough, and when his next punch was significantly weaker, he moved into it. Armin fell to the ground, covering the blade on his thigh. Eren’s face lit up in concern, and he rushed to help Armin up.</p><p>   “Are you okay?” He asked holding a hand out to Armin.</p><p>   Armin grimaced and pulled himself closer to Eren. Then, he made his move. He flipped Eren over while he was unbalanced, and dug his knee into his chest. Armin pressed down hard, to make sure Eren was unable to get up. He pried the knife from his hand and held it in front of Eren’s face.</p><p>   <em>Fuck, </em>Eren thought. Armin leaned over him, smirking. “I gotcha this time,” he teased. His smirk turned into a smile, leaving Eren stunned. The heat rushed to his face as he looked up at his best friend. Armin’s tousled hair and the determined glint in his eyes made Eren feel something he’d never felt before. <em>FUCK. </em>He thought again, but this time it was for a different reason. </p><p>—</p><p>   “Eren looks like he might piss his pants,” Jean remarked.</p><p>   “No,” Connie corrected, “he looks like he wants Armin to fucking rail him.”</p><p>   </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter was so much fun to write! I hope you like it, and thank you so much for the love you’ve already given this story! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I didn’t have to time to edit this all the way through, so bare with me on any spelling/grammar mistakes! I’ll probably go back and edit it again tomorrow!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Later that night, Eren couldn’t sleep. He was tired, but at the same time he was wide awake. He couldn’t stop thinking about what happened during training, and how he let Armin get the best of him. Later, Armin told him that Annie had taught him that move. It made sense, because Eren had learned a lot from her as well. However, that wasn’t the thing that was bothering him most. It’s the fact that he was more concerned about Armin than winning the fight.</p><p><em>   I’m not usually like that,</em> he thought to himself. <em>Normally all I want to do is </em>win<em>. It just doesn’t make sense.</em> He groaned quietly into his hands, rubbing his face hard. <em>What made me lose composure? Maybe I just had an off day?</em> He mulled through these thoughts, unable to think of an adequate answer. <em>All I know is that I can’t let this happen again.</em> Eren hoped that was enough closure for himself, and rolled over in his small bunk to try and fall asleep.</p><p>   It felt as if fifteen or twenty more minutes had passed, and he was still awake. He wasn’t exactly sure what time it was, and all he wanted to do was fall asleep. A little voice in his head started talking. ‘<em>Maybe you haven’t figured it all out’,</em> it said. </p><p><em>   Well, what am I missing?</em> Eren asked it.</p><p>
  <em>   ‘Think.’ </em>
</p><p>   Eren bit the inside of his cheek in frustration. <em>Wow. I wonder what I’ve been doing all this time?</em> However, he did think it over again. He asked himself what was different from the past training exercises he lost. Normally, he wasn’t this stressed about them. Maybe it had something to do with Armin.</p><p>   <em>Shit.</em></p><p>
  <em>   Armin!!</em>
</p><p>   While this didn’t answer his original question, it allowed Eren to finally place a name on that feeling he’d felt earlier, when Armin had him pinned to the ground. It was attraction.</p><p>   <em>No it wasn’t. That’s stupid.</em></p><p>The little voice decided to interject again, <em>‘It was. You </em>definitely<em> thought it was hot.’</em> </p><p>   Eren thought about this. How could he possibly like Armin in that way? They had been best friends for years. And sure, they liked to hold hands and lean on each other and cuddle, but best friends did that, right?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>   Right?</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  The little voice didn’t offer any advice. </p><p>   <em>Fuck you,</em> Eren thought, and he turned over in his bed again. He kept replaying the mental image of Armin hovering over him, with messed up hair, a smirk, and stubborn blue eyes. Eren found himself chewing on his bottom lip. So maybe it was a little attractive. But maybe he was just proud that Armin won. Maybe it-</p><p>   “Eren, I can practically hear you thinking. Will you just go to fucking bed please?” Jean said, interrupting his train of thought. Eren pretended to not hear him. <em>Fuck you too.</em> He said to himself</p><p>—</p><p>   The next morning at breakfast, Armin sat down with Eren who <em>clearly</em> looked like shit. “Are you okay?” He asked.</p><p>   “That’s a good question,” Eren replied. Armin rolled his eyes and turned back to his food.</p><p>   “Are you really mad that you lost?” Armin looked half annoyed now.</p><p>“What? No!” Eren reassured him quickly. “I just... couldn’t sleep. It was one of <em>those nights</em>,” he added quietly. However, that was only half true. “Those nights” were the nights where he dreamt about his mother’s death. He felt guilty about lying, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to tell Armin what he’d really been thinking about.</p><p>   “Oh! I’m sorry... I probably shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” Armin said quietly. “I was just kind of proud of myself.”</p><p>   “I was proud of you too,” The words rolled off of Eren’s tongue effortlessly. He wasn’t thinking about what he was saying now. He just spoke what he felt. “You really got me, but I’m looking forward to a rematch! I won’t let you trick me like you did last time, though.” Both of them smiled.</p><p>   That was the thing with Armin. He was <em>so</em> incredibly easy to talk to. All of Eren’s previous thoughts and concerns had vanished. The only thing he cared about now was spending time with Armin, and hopefully beating him the next time around. </p><p>   ‘<em>And maybe kissing him when you win.’</em></p><p>
  <em>  NO!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>—</em>
</p><p>   “He’s panicking,” Marco said, an amused smile finding its way on his lips.</p><p>   “Yep. He was up almost all night, too.” Jean added.</p><p>   Sasha gave him a confused look. “How’d you know that? Were you up too?”</p><p>   Jean turned slightly pink at this. “Uhm, yeah. I couldn’t sleep.”</p><p>   “Did you hear that Sasha?! Poor little Jean couldn’t sleep!!<em>” </em>Connie said with fake shock and concern. He gave Jean an over exaggerated frown. </p><p>   “I really fucking hate you Connie. You know that, right?”</p><p>   “I wouldn’t want it any other way, horse face.”</p><p>   “Please stop talking,” Jean said, trying to hide his smile.</p><p>   They continued going back and forth like that until Marco spoke up. “I think we should ask them about it today. It looks like Eren’s starting to realize that there’s something between them, but at this rate, I don’t think he’s going to tell him.”</p><p>   “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Jean said.</p><p>   “Okay, we’ll do it after class!” Connie announced.</p><p>   Sasha pumped a fist in the air and yelled: “Hell yeah!”</p><p>   Connie burst into laughter, and Jean held his hands over his face. “You two are the most embarrassing people on this planet,” he muttered, trying to avoid the stares their table was getting.</p><p>—</p><p>   “Hey Eren!” Connie called out. Eren turned around and faced him. Jean was there too.</p><p>   “Hey Connie, what’s up?”</p><p>   “Jean really sucks at maneuvering the odm gear if you haven’t noticed, and we were wondering if you could help him.” He said.</p><p>   A horrified look spread to Jean’s face. “Connie!” He yelled. “That’s not true! Take it back right now, or I’ll tell Sasha you ate the last-“</p><p>   “Ugh you’re no fun,” Connie pouted. He kicked the back of Jean’s knee, causing him to trip. “Asshole,” he muttered.</p><p>   “Dipshit,” Jean bit back.</p><p>   Eren started walking off slowly. “If you don’t need me, I think I’m gonna go,” he said.</p><p>   Jean grabbed his arm before he could back away. “Wait! We actually do need to talk to you though.” Eren freed his arm from Jean’s grip and looked the pair up and down.</p><p>   “Fine,” he sighed. “What do you need?”</p><p>   “We know you like Armin,” Connie said.</p><p>   <em>Crap.</em> Eren felt his face turn red, but tried his best to hide it. “What are you talking about?” He asked. </p><p>   “Eren. We know you wanna fucking kiss him. So can you <em>please</em> just tell him how you feel?!”</p><p>   “Yeah, what Connie said.” Jean added helpfully.</p><p>   Eren did what he did best. He got mad. “You’re just trying to get with Mikasa, aren’t you Jean?”</p><p>   Now it was Jean’s turn to blush. “I- no,” he muttered. Connie rolled his eyes.</p><p>   “We see the way you look at him, Eren. You can’t deny it and say you don’t feel anything, because you’d be lying if you did,” Connie started. “And you’re not really being fair to Mikasa either. I know she’s like a sister to you, but your her entire world. So before you do anything, tell her you’re not interested.”</p><p>   “Wait, what?” Eren cocked his head to the side. He had momentarily forgotten about Jean. “Me? Mikasa’s entire world? That can’t be true.” </p><p>   Connie groaned. “Think about it. She does whatever you want her to do, whenever you want her to do it, and she’s promised to put her life on the line for you, <em>multiple times</em>. My gosh, Eren. I knew you were dense but I didn’t think you were fucking clueless.”</p><p>   <em>Oh</em>, Eren thought. “Okay, okay, I’ll talk to Mikasa. But as for Armin-“ </p><p>   Jean interrupted him before he could finish. “You love him, and in more than just a friendly way. Besides, best friends don’t cuddle and hold hands all the time.” His voice softened. “I get it, though. It’s... confusing.”</p><p>   Connie looked from Jean to Eren and back again.</p><p>   “<em>Jean</em>,” he said.</p><p>   “What?” </p><p>   “<em>JEAN!</em>” He repeated, his jaw slowly dropping.</p><p>   “WHAT?!”</p><p>   Connie was struggling to form a complete sentence. “<em>You?</em> <em>Marco?</em>”</p><p>   Jean straightened and scratched the back of his neck. “Uh... maybe?” </p><p>   Connie slapped a hand to his forehead. “What is it with you idiots falling for your best friends?” </p><p>   “Hey! You can’t be calling me an idiot when you know you like Sasha!” Jean snapped.</p><p>   “Shut the fuck up, we’re talking about you and Eren right now,” Connie shot back, glaring at Jean as he continued. “Okay Dumb and Dumber, here’s what you’re going to do. Eren- just talk to Armin, because I know he likes you back. In all honesty, I thought you were together when I first met you. You’ve got this, ‘Kay?”</p><p>   “Alright,” Eren said with a quick nod.</p><p>   Connie turned to Jean and smirked. “As for this ugly ass bitch, he can figure out how to talk to Marco by himself.”</p><p>   “Hey!” Jean protested, “that’s not fair! How come Eren gets advice but I don’t?”</p><p>   “I like watching you make a fool of yourself.” </p><p>   “You little bitch-“</p><p>   “Says you.”</p><p>   They stared at each other for a moment until Jean sighed in defeat. “Can you please help me? I’ll take over your chores for a week, even if I win the bet. I’m begging you.”</p><p>   Connie’s smirk deepened. “You’re what?”</p><p>   Jean gritted his teeth. “I’m begging, and I’m not saying it again.”</p><p>   “Okay, fine. I’ll get Sasha in on it and we’ll see what we can do.” </p><p>   “So... does that mean we’re done here?” Eren asked.</p><p>   “Yeah, and don’t forget about mikasa. You should tell her before you make a move,” Connie said. He clapped Eren’s back and smiled. “Good luck!” Eren gave him a determined nod, and walked away. </p><p>   “I wonder how Armin’s doing with Marco and Sasha,” Jean thought aloud.</p><p>   “I don’t know, but he’s probably a hell of a lot better off than Eren is.”</p><p>—</p><p>   Marco and Sasha approached him at lunch. Armin was still waiting on Eren to show up, but they sat down beside him instead. </p><p>   “I’m sorry if this is kind of sudden, but Sasha and I have a question we need to ask you,” Marco said.</p><p>   Armin smiled at his friends. “Go ahead, it’s no problem!”</p><p>   “We’ve been wondering about this for a while now, but do you like Eren?”</p><p>   “That’s an odd question, but yeah, of course I do! He’s my best friend!”</p><p>   Sasha sighed softly. “That’s not what he meant, Armin. Do you <em>like</em> Eren. Like, romantically. In a non-platonic way.”</p><p>   Armin’s ears turned red as he thought about this. “I... I don’t think so. We’ve always been close, but it’s not like I’ve ever thought about him that way.” </p><p>   “So you’re telling me you’ve never thought he was hot. You’ve never wanted to kiss him, or hold him, or cuddle him or do whatever it is that young-and-in-love kind of people do?” She asked.</p><p>   Armin considered this for a moment. Of course he had thought about Eren’s looks before. He <em>was</em> pretty attractive. He had such pretty eyes and soft hands that were constantly holding onto him. He’d also thought about the way he looked after the fight. His red cheeks, shocked expression, and messed up hair had really done a number on Armin. It was surprising that he had enough self-control to refrain from kissing him right there. </p><p>   His face started to warm up. “Okay, maybe I have.” He shook his head once, clearing the thoughts that were swarming in his head. “But what does that have to do with me being in love? It’s not like he’d actually reciprocate the feelings anyways.”</p><p>   Sasha groaned. “You’re almost as bad as Jean and Marco!” </p><p>   Now it was Marco’s turn to look embarrassed. “What?”</p><p>   “He’s almost as bad as you and Jean,” she repeated.   Sasha continued where she left off. “Anyways, we know Eren likes you because we’ve seen the way he looks at you. He stares at you literally <em>all the time</em>. You know how you showed him that sunset the other day? He hardly even spared it a glance because was too busy watching you.”</p><p>   “Wait, you saw that?” Armin asked. She nodded.</p><p>   “Yeah, but that’s not the point. You’re in love with Eren freaking Yeager, and he is in love with you!” She leaned forward and grabbed his hands. “I’m really counting on you to get your shit together and confess, because I don’t think Eren has the guts to do it. Okay?”</p><p>   “Uhm... Yeah, okay.” Armin said. He looked down at his hands nervously. Was he really going to do it? What if it ruined their friendship? Would it be worth the trouble?</p><p>   Something was going to happen, one way or another. Armin just hoped that he and Eren would be okay by the end of it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>they’ve finally realized they’re in love :D<br/>Also I’m sorry if this is all over the place, I suck at writing multi-chapter stories lmao</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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